Fisherman, divers, treasure hunters, coast guards, and others have long had a need to mark a location of interest on a body of water so that the location can be maintained or found easily at a later date. The need might arise, for example, from a desire to mark the location of a promising fishing spot, the location of an underwater artifact, or the location of submerged geographic features of interest to pleasure divers. In either event, it is desirable that the location be marked with a floating visible buoy that is anchored securely in place, is not subject to drift as a result of wind and wave action and that is lightweight, reliable, and reusable.
A variety of attempts have been made to provide lightweight reusable marker buoys. Some examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,993,974 of McVicker, U.S. Pat. No. 3,020,567 of Colt, U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,156 of Hamm, U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,036 of Ulf, U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,636 of Schurr, U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,395 of Saulnier et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,551 of Keller, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,468 of Nichols. While many of the devices of these patents represent nobel attempts to provide convenient, lightweight, reusable marker buoys, they nevertheless embody various problems and shortcomings inherent in their designs. The McVicker device, for example, has an anchor line wrapped about the body of the buoy and the buoy floats horizontally as the anchor sinks and the anchor line unwinds freely. All the while, the lower portion of the buoy slowly fills with water and, at some point, the buoy rights itself into a floating vertical orientation wherein the anchor line is caught by a hook to prevent further deployment of the line. One problem with this design is that it is unpredictable. When the buoy rights itself from the ballast it has taken on, anchor deployment stops. If the anchor has not yet reached the bottom when the buoy is righted, the entire assembly simply floats away. On the other hand, if the anchor reaches the bottom long before the buoy rights itself, then the anchor line will continue to deploy, particularly in the present of a strong current or strong wind. In such a case, the buoy can float far from the actual location of the anchor and the location that was intended to be marked. Finally, the free deployment of the anchor line can lead to entanglement that can render the entire system inoperative.
The Colt device seeks to provide a measured resistance to deployment of anchor line but is mechanically complex and necessarily includes metal components that are subject to rust and that require maintenance. Hamm discloses a windless that deploys and anchor and locks the anchor line when the anchor is deployed. This device is also subject to tangles because of the free wheeling deployment of the anchor line and can be subject to drift in rough seas as the bobbing float lifts the anchor off of the bottom. Nichols is also subject to the problems of free wheeling anchor line deployment and the problems associated with a locked anchor line after deployment of the anchor. Further, the locking notch in Nichols is positioned so that it can accidently catch the anchor line as it is paid out, thus preventing the anchor from reaching the bottom. Devices disclosed in the other patents, such as the Schurr and Saulnier patents, are mechanically complex, subject to malfunction, and also embody many of the shortcomings already discussed.
Accordingly, a continuing need exists for an improved marine marker buoy that is lightweight, economical, reusable, and that reliably marks a preselected location on a body of water without entanglement of the anchor line during deployment and without surf and wind induced drift after the anchor is deployed. Such a buoy should deploy its anchor to the proper depth automatically when tossed into the water and should be able to accommodate anchors of various sizes and weights as needed depending upon the condition of the surf. The buoy should be resistant to corrosion and should allow for easy retraction of the anchor when the buoy is to be retrieved and moved to another spot to be marked. Finally, such a buoy should indicate clearly to its user the direction of the water current in the region in which the buoy is deployed and should be configured so that the functional components of the buoy are kept out of the water and substantially dry during use. It is to the provision of such a marine marker buoy that the present invention is primarily directed.